Several Bills Are Moving Through The General Assembly

A bill that would make human trafficking a felony in Kentuckywon final passage in the state House on a 96-0 vote Friday. The measure already cleared the Senate 37-0 and now goes to Gov. Ernie Fletcher. Under the bill, the most severe punishment would go to thosetrafficking children or injured people. The bill would make human trafficking a crime punishable by 5 to10 years in prison. The offense would carry a stiffer 10-to-20-yearsentence if the victim was seriously injured. Someone trafficking aminor also would face longer penalties, including 20 years to lifein prison if the youngster is seriously injured. Rep. Susan Westrom said it's uncertain how many people have been trafficking into the United States, but authorities believeKentucky is a pass through state. "This crime is going on right under our very noses," saidWestrom, D-Lexington. The bill's lead sponsor is Sen. David Boswell, D-Owensboro. Itssupporters include the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. --- The legislation is Senate Bill 43.---

FIRE-SAFE CIGARETTES A proposal requiring cigarette makers to sell onlyself-extinguishing cigarettes in Kentucky won House passage Fridayon a 98-0 vote. Before giving its approval, the House attached an amendment tothe bill. That means the proposal goes back to the Senate, whichwill decide whether to accept the change. The bill previously passed the Senate 36-0. Safety advocates say the measure would reduce fires andfire-related deaths because the cigarettes extinguish themselveswhen left unattended. --- The legislation is Senate Bill 134.---

POWER PLANTS The process for deciding where coal gasification plants can bebuilt would be streamlined under a bill that received final passageby the Senate on Friday. The bill had been modified slightly by the House. It allowsproposed coal or biomass gasification projects to skip a review bya siting board, which looks at a plant's compatibility with thearea. Such proposals would still receive local planning and zoningapproval. Tom FitzGerald, head of the environmental advocacy groupKentucky Resources Council, has called the legislation "a slap inthe face of local input." --- The legislation is Senate Bill 196.---

LIQUOR SALES A bill to allow local-option votes on whether to permitliquor-by-the-drink in restaurants in historic buildings wonapproval from the Kentucky Senate on Friday. To qualify, the restaurant would have to seat at least 50people. Also, the building would have to be located in a commercialhistoric district listed on the National Register of HistoricPlaces and would have to include lodging. The measure, which passed the Senate on a 21-13 vote, wouldallow a precinct vote on whether to permit liquor sales in suchrestaurants. Sen. Ernie Harris, R-Crestwood, said restaurants that "offer alittle atmosphere" can stimulate downtowns by enticing otherbusinesses to open nearby. Opponents included Sen. Vernie McGaha, who noted that schoolgroups visit such historic buildings. "Now we're going to be exposing these children to the sale ofalcohol," said McGaha, R-Russell Springs. "I just think we'regoing in the wrong direction." The House, which previously passed the bill, will get it back toconsider changes made by the Senate. --- The legislation is House Bill 138.---

DRUG DRIVING The Kentucky Senate on Friday revived a bill meant to make iteasier to convict people who drive while impaired by drugs. The proposal passed the Senate previously but stalled in a Housecommittee. The Senate attached the provisions to another bill thatwould ban devices that vaporize liquor, allowing consumers to getdrunk by inhaling intoxicating fumes. Sen. Ray Jones, D-Pikeville, urged his colleagues to revive hisproposal, which would create a presumption of guilt if motoristsare found with illegal drugs in their system. He said the proposalseeks to crack down on an "epidemic" of drug-influenced motoristswho put other drivers at risk. The bill now returns to the House, which will decide whether toaccept the Senate changes. The original parts of the bill would banpeople from selling or owning an alcohol vaporizer device.Violators would be guilty of a misdemeanor. Also under the bill, any bars, retailers or wholesalers caughtselling the device would have their liquor licenses suspended. --- The vaporizer legislation is House Bill 125. The anti-drugdriving legislation is Senate Bill 67.---

SPORTS ELIGIBILITY A plan that would seek to end the debate over stricter sportseligibility rules for pupils who switch from public to privateschools cleared the state Senate Friday. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association had beenconsidering a plan to create a "feeder system" for high schoolathletes based along geographical boundaries. Under that plan,pupils who attended a private elementary school and then switchedto a public high school - or vice versa - would be ineligible toplay sports for one year. Sen. Tim Shaughnessy, D-Louisville, said the KHSAA proposalwould be unfair for students who could be forced to sit out becauseof the rule. Parents have the right to send their children toreligious or public schools and their children shouldn't bepenalized for changing educational systems. Sen. Dick Roeding, R-Lakeside Park, said the KHSAA rule could"stand in the way" of youngsters who want to play sports. "I believe the Kentucky High School Athletic Association is alittle bit out of control with what they're trying to do here,"Roeding said. The athletics proposal had already been approved by the KHSAA's18-member board, but was waiting on approval from the state schoolboard before it could be implemented. Shaughnessy attached his proposal to block the KHSAA rule as anamendment to another related education proposal. The Senateapproved the plan on a 32-0 vote and heads back to the House forconsideration. -- The legislation is House Bill 380.---

TAX INCENTIVES The Senate approved a tax incentive package Friday aimed atkeeping Ford Motor Co. in Kentucky. Jefferson County is home to two Ford manufacturing plants.Kentucky lawmakers were seeking to offer tax incentives that wouldkeep the auto giant there in future years. The proposal would offer tax incentives for the company toretool its operations and retrain local employees to work there. Gov. Ernie Fletcher, in his State of the Commonwealth speech,had asked lawmakers to approve about $10 million in Fordincentives. The proposal cleared the Senate on a 36-0 vote and heads back tothe House for consideration. -- The legislation is House Bill 536.

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